Held Back - Photographic Novel

Directed by Caleb Cameron

Delving into the state of the fallen, Held Back features a collection of photos, poems, and digital artworks from a variety of artists, to create a dark description of descent, and the hands that pushed them off the edge.Held Back was over several months during mid-2022, spanning 8 shoots and several meetings to formulate what we were looking to produce as a group of artists. We had an idea of themes and a vivid idea of what we wanted the project to look like, however, as with many art projects, they usually start and stay, as a jumbled mess of swirling concepts and momentary decisions, upon decision until everything clicks into one. After many weeks of trying to find this project, I am very happy where it is at, and especially how it finishes. I feel this project is my most polished piece of work to date and I am really excited to share it with all of you. I wanna thank all of the collaborators who made this a reality, from the artists to the models, to Flying Artists and Regional Arts Queensland for finically supporting the production of this book. Everyone has had a big part and shaping this project.
- Book Location: Mary Who Book Shop, Umbrella Studio Art Store

Held Back Pop-Up Exhibition

As a lead up to the launch of Held Backs' book release on the 31st of July 2022, we opened up a pop-up exhibition of some of featured, in a small liminal space within the soon-to-be closing down Diffraction Studio in Townsville Queensland. To differentiate the works and experience of the exhibition to the book, we took much of the motifs, visuals and ideas explored in the book and interpreted it through a new lens. Tattering many of works and combining many of them into collage style clumps to create a sense of confinement and anxiety within the space. Some shots of the exhibition shot of film are linked below.

This project was made possible by the Australian Government's Regional Arts Fund, which supports the arts in regional and remote Australia.